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Lockport, Ill. - The No. 47 Lewis University women's tennis team claimed its first-ever NCAA Midwest Regional Championship, as the host Flyers claimed the 5-4 victory over No. 16 Northwood at the Challenge Fitness Club on Tuesday (May 1) afternoon.

With the win, Lewis extends their winning streak to 13 matches and improves to 24-2 on the campaign. The Flyers will now head to the 2012 DII Spring Festival in Louisville, Kentucky where they will square off with Columbus State at 8 a.m. on May 16th in a NCAA First Round contest. Northwood ends its season with a record of 16-4.

"This really hasn't sunk in," Lewis head women's tennis coach Brett Bridel said. "It's a really cool experience, especially for our seniors Katie Hargrove (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) and Bayley Brown (Evansville, Ind./Evansville Central) (Evansville, Ind./Evansville Central).

"We've had our ups and downs as a program, but to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and advance to the 'Sweet 16'? You couldn't write a better story."

Lewis sophomore Kendra Mills (Elmhurst, Ill./York) (Elmhurst, Ill./York) provided the dramatic finish for the Flyers, as she broke the 4-all tie with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Karine Larher at No. 6 singles.

"Kendra has been in that position before and she drew from that experience," Bridel said. "She's better from those experiences and she played brilliantly, especially in that second set."

Mills also teamed up with Hargrove at No. 3 doubles for the 8-6 win over Nikoletta Kaposzta and Larher.

Lewis' No. 2 tandem of sophomore Zsofia Lanstiak (Budapest, Hungary/Karinthy Frigyes Gimnazium) (Budapest, Hungary/Karinthy Frigyes Gimnazium) and Brown claimed the 8-4 win over Ayana Kobayashi and Svenja Stephan. Lanstiak added a 6-4, 6-1 win over Susana Alcaraz at No. 1 singles.

Northwood won three out of six matches in singles play and held a 4-3 advantage over the Flyers. Lewis sophomore Zsofia Kranczicki (Eger, Hungary/Szilagyi Erzsebet Gimnazium es Kollegium) (Eger, Hungary/Szilagyi Erzsebet Gimnazium es Kollegium), however, evened up the score with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Stephan at No. 2 singles.